Traces of Consciousness Newsletter

Transcription

1 Traces of Consciousness Newsletter Newsletter April-June 2018 Volume 6, Issue 2 Spring Forward Rev. Karen Epps Senior Minister minister@unityofpasadena.org Unity of Pasadena Church Office: 3053 E. Del Mar Blvd. Pasadena, CA Office Hours: Tues/Weds/Thurs 10:00am 4:00pm Andrea Sheridan Admin Office: (626) admin@unityofpasadena.org Sunday Celebration Service: 10:30am Silent Unity Prayer Support Line: (24 hrs) Leadership Council: Rev. Karen Epps, Senior Minister Gary Clason, Mary Coolman Grace LaFranchi John Thompsen, Sandra French I was in Northern California at Unity In Marin recently and attended an informational session led by Jim Blake the CEO at Unity World Headquarters as well as Linda Martella-Whitset VP of Silent Unity. There are many exciting things happening at Unity Village and for the Unity Movement. However, these happenings didn t just spring up overnight. Similar to certain varieties of fruit trees several years may pass before they produce the first fruits. Yet we must continue to nurture the trees with the faith that in their own time, with us doing our work tending them, the day will come when they bring forth an abundance of fruit. This caused me to reflect upon how our inner experiences relate to the changing of the seasons. As we move from winter to spring we see the transformation a new season holds for nature as well as for each of us. Only a few months ago we were watching the trees lose their leaves and the days get shorter. We are reminded of the cycle of nature in our own lives. Like a tree in the winter, which may appear not to be as active or productive, it is really in a state of renewal. It is building up and storing energy so come Spring it will be ready to bring forth new shoots, leaves, and produce flowers, grapes, pears, nuts, oranges, etc each according to its pattern. Continued on Next Page

2 Page 2 Traces of Consciousness Let us be reminded to take time for renewal, whether through prayer and meditation or a walk in the woods. We also need time to reflect, renew and prepare to bring forth a harvest of our own, at the right and perfect time, according to our seed thoughts. What we harvest in the spring of life is a result of the thoughts we carried throughout the days of winter. Each season has with it the opportunity for new life. The harvest times in our life were always preceded by apparent darkness and searching. No matter our age we are all growing and learning. The most powerful growth and changes in our life was always a result of what we put our attention upon. I continue to learn and grow with each passing day. Let us approach this time ready to spring forward! Love & Blessings, Rev. Karen

3 Page 3 Traces of Consciousness A WORD FROM THE BOARD John Thompsen Hello Unity family! When I joined your Board of Trustees last year, I knew that it would be an important part of my growth in Unity as well as a way to do what I could to support the church in its impressive growth. It has been a real delight working with Reverend Karen and the Board as we develop a vision for the future and celebrate the growth we have experienced in A bit about how things were for me before Unity. My life was full of ups and downs, probably more downs than ups and I could not figure out why. I had a general sense things would not turn out the way I hoped and had sort of made a decision that that was just the way life was. That outlook was also a reflection of my upbringing the nice things in life were not reserved for people like us. When I discovered Unity in Kansas City, my life was running on empty. I was definitely in need of a rescue mission but never thought a church would provide the path to a quick rescue. What I learned from the Unity Principles is the powerful energy that is meta-physics. I have also learned how powerful the mind is and how we can use that power for good and for bad in our lives. I have plenty of experiences of both to know it is correct! Now I have a better understanding of the power of positive thinking and how it works and use it in my day to day life. I very quickly developed the understanding that I could shape my life through my thoughts and actions. (Of course that does not mean I decide I want something and through my thoughts make it happen). What did happen is I learned to be open to what the universe has in store for me. There are dozens of stories I can relate which all prove to me this power is a strong one and always present. Continued on Next Page

4 Page 4 Traces of Consciousness When I returned to Los Angeles in 2005, I was not able to find a Unity home, but attended a number of spiritual centers that held similar beliefs. I attended these services sporadically but always hoped the perfect Unity church would come my way. And it happened in a most unusual fashion! A 2016 vacation trip found us in Palo Alto, and I remembered my minister from Kansas City was now conducting services at the Palo Alto Unity Church. I told my partner Julian that I wanted to attend a most amazing church and off we went to attended the service. Afterward, Julian said Wow, can we find a place like this in LA? And so we came to Unity of Pasadena. The welcome we received was unbelievable and I knew immediately we had found a church home. It is a delight to attend Sunday service and experience the energy of a spiritual community that is filled with such positive energy. I know that I have found the right church home and it is a delight to see the church develop and grow even more special. With Abundant Love, John Thompsen, Board Secretary

5 Page 54 Traces of Consciousness November CHAPLAIN S CORNER How Has Being A Prayer Chaplain Changed My Life? Being of service is a gift, not only to the person I am praying with, but to myself as well. My goal as a prayer chaplain is to listen, channel Divine Spirit and comfort the person I am praying with as I speak God's words. When I sit with the person... I hear God's words, I feel the comfort of being in sacred space and my body, mind & heart relax. I flow into the knowing that all is God. With great joy, I love serving our congregants. With great joy, I love being part of such a wonderful and supportive prayer chaplain team. Knowing, in times of stress, one of my prayer sisters or brothers will remind me, 'Michelle, you're a prayer chaplain... pray.' I do, and all changes. God's joy floods through me. I stand for peace. I stand for love. And that includes all of us...me, you and everything in this unlimited Universe. In love & light, Michelle By being a Prayer Chaplain I have been given the opportunity to provide a service in which I get to remind people of their inherent truth. The message is that they are already a whole and perfect individualized expression of God. How awesome is that! Praying with others has truly deepened my faith, built my confidence and enhanced my creativity. I'm thankful to be a Prayer Chaplain at Unity of Pasadena and am grateful for the love and support I've received from Rev. Karen, my fellow Prayer Chaplains, and the congregants. Namaste, Helen Continued on Next Page

6 Page 6 Traces of Consciousness It has been an honor and blessing being a Prayer Chaplain for Unity of Pasadena for nine years. It truly has changed my life and continues to deepen my faith in God and prayer. In prayer, it is a joy affirming God's light and love within each and every congregant and reminds me that were are all connected as one. It's a gift that keeps on giving year after year. I am so grateful to have a supportive and loving relationships with all of the prayer chaplains, who always are there for me and my family whenever in need of prayer. Being of service to the church has given me the opportunity to give back what I received so many years prior to becoming a Prayer Chaplain. It comforts me that I am able to open my heart and enter into that sacred space, and pray for others. I delight in the monthly prayer calls, the meditations, and prayer services that provide a spiritual moment for me to trust the voice within knowing that love, peace and joy are our Divine inheritance no matter what. Love is always the answer to all prayers, and for this I am truly and eternally grateful. In Love and Light, Donna

7 Page 7 Traces of Consciousness SHARING OUR STORIES NANCY SMITH We know Jesus to be an imparter of wisdom. Marcus J. Borg (2015), however, makes a distinction. Jesus s brand of wisdom was alternative in contrast to conventional wisdom that reflected the customs and beliefs of the time. This leads me to why story sharing has been so important to me. Aligning ourselves with the still, small voice of the Divine and basing our lives on the alternative wisdom of Jesus tends to set us on a path of unconventional choices. Our unique spiritual journeys often involve what might otherwise be considered risk. Along the way, I think you will agree that it matters what messages we listen to. Is it not so much easier to take that road less traveled when surrounded by friends and resources that support our spiritual perspective? Acknowledging the Divine in others lives has lifted and strengthened me on those occasions when my doubts kept me from discerning it in my own. We all have been through hard times at one point or another, when the safety nets we take for granted (loss of a job, health, companionship of a loved one, etc.) disappear, exposing God s footprints in our lives. It is from these periods that I have the most God stories stories of Divine intervention that cannot possibly be misinterpreted as anything else. You might wonder how I could ever fear or doubt after having received so many very clear signs of Divine presence. Manifesting and sharing awareness of that presence is what spiritual community means to me. It includes corporate worship, loving relationships, and the sharing of our stories. Anytime you need a God story let me know and I will do the same. *Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time: The Historical Jesus and the Heart of Contemporary Faith (2015). New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishing.

8 Page 8 Traces of Consciousness CENTERING PRAYER & MEDITATION Andrea Sheridan Centering Prayer & Meditation is an elegantly simple daily spiritual practice that springs from the contemplative prayer tradition. We are told, behold I stand at the door and knock. It doesn t take a lot of effort to open a door. A centering prayer practice is our opening the door to spend time with God. It is our sole intention. Over time, this yields unmistakable results in our lives because interior silence is the perfect seed bed for our awakening and for Divine Love to take root. Centering Prayer facilitates this process of inner transformation and communion with the Divine, and thus, a deeper relationship with God. In Open Mind, Open Heart Thomas Keating describes the surrender process involved in this prayerful meditative practice: we surrender, we lay aside thoughts, we offer ourselves, who we are, just as we are. We trust. It is surrendering our whole being to God we have no expectation within the prayer time itself other than to spend time with God. Cynthia Bourgeault in her book Centering Prayer and Inner Awakening describes Centering Prayer as a practice that allows us to stand deeply and quietly gathered in the heart of God, no matter what outer or inner storms may assail us. The inner sanctuary we learn to cultivate, the inner connectedness with Divinity, begins to translate into the assurance nothing and no one can possibly fall out of God. In our initial five week journey together we will follow a simple format: a brief discussion about what Centering Prayer is and is not and a summary discussion of the material in Part 1 of Open Mind Open Heart. We will cover two chapters per meeting beginning with the Introduction. It will be helpful to have read the Introduction and Chapter One before our first meeting. Our sits or meditation periods will be 15 minutes. This class is being offered on a love offering basis so that you might experience for yourselves this sweet connection with the Divine and with each other. Monday Evenings 6:30-7:30 April 30-May 7

9 Page 9 Traces of Consciousness EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE 2.0 Selam Meherana In June, I will be presenting a class with a single purpose - to help you increase your Emotional Intelligence (EQ). Emotional intelligence is the foundation for a host of critical skills, such as decision making, assertiveness, anger management, accountability, social skills, stress tolerance, time management, empathy etc. A little effort spent on increasing your EQ tends to have a wide-ranging, positive impact on your life. The book includes a step-by-step program for increasing Emotional Intelligence for professional success and personal excellence, and provides 66 proven strategies that teach: Self-awareness Self-management Social awareness Relationship management The book also includes access to the enhanced online edition of the world s most popular EQ test the Emotional Intelligence Appraisal that pinpoints the strategies that will increase your emotional intelligence the most, and tests your EQ a second time to measure your progress. Required book: Emotional Intelligence 2.0 by Travis Bradberry & Jean Greaves Before the first class, take online EQ appraisal (a passcode will be on an envelope on the back of the book), and bring to the class. As indicated in the book, taking the test provides a baseline against which you can gauge your improvement as you read on and learn. Measuring your EQ takes your learning beyond a conceptual or motivational exercise. Your score profile uncovers the EQ skills you need to improve the most, and it pinpoints the individual strategies from this book that will get you there. Continued on the next page

10 Page 10 Traces of Consciousness Here is what the Dalai Lama said about this book: All sentient beings possess awareness, but among them human beings possess great intelligence. Subject to a constant stream of positive and negative thoughts and emotions, what distinguishes us as human beings is that we are capable of positive change. Emotional Intelligence 2.0 succinctly explains how to deal with emotions creatively and employ our intelligence in a beneficial way. Tuesdays 7-8:30 June 5 June 26 4 $80, no drop ins for this class.

11 Page 11 Traces of Consciousness Workshops & Events Sunday April 8 Kirtan 4pm $20 Indian Food Buffet 5:30 $10 With Angela Carole Brown Join us for this wonderful two part afternoon. A Kirtan is sacred call-&- response chanting originally performed in India s Bhakti community. It began centuries ago as a devotional worship, and was known as the layman s way to connect with the Divine. The Sanskrit chants are ancient traditionals considered to contain transformative power and healing energy. The power in mantras and chants is in their ability to attune consciousness and the magic of the chants is their ability to carry you to the sacred space within. After the Kirtan, extend your experience of India with the delicious buffet that follows. Please pre-register online via our website. Sunday April 22 & 29 12:30-2 The Art of Dream Alchemy With Gina Rochelle Gina Rochell developed The Art of Dream Alchemy, as an integrative shamanic practice that weaves together dream images, mythology, and powerful archetypal energies. The Art of Dream Alchemy is designed to empower everyone to imagine and create their own healing soulful stories, music, art or dance, out of the mysteries of the dream image. In her words the first week, we will explore the process of choosing a dream image and mythological tale, and writing a short story from these elements. The second week we will explore the process of imaging the mythical voice using a mythical narrative within your short story. Course materials: pen, notebook, one dream image memory, and a mythological story. This is a two part course with no single class registrations. $50 Please register online via our website.

12 Page 12 Traces of Consciousness Workshops & Events Mondays April 30-May 7 Centering Prayer & Meditation 6:30-7:30 with Andrea Sheridan Love Offering If you have yearned for a deeper relationship with God, please join us as we experience the power of Centering Prayer & Meditation. Using Thomas Keating's Book "Open Mind, Open Heart" as our guide, we will spend part of our hour together involved in the Centering Prayer& Meditation practice, resting in the stillness of our mind & heart. This method of prayer is both a relationship with God and a way to foster that relationship. This class is being offered on a love offering basis so that you might experience for yourselves this sweet connection with the Divine and with each other. Please read the introduction and Chapter 1 before our first meeting together. Sunday May 20 Sound Bath 12:30 with Karen Apostolina $25 A Sound Bath is a relaxing, immersive experience where quartz crystal singing bowls and planetary gongs are played with the intention of providing relaxation and an overall feeling of well being to the listener. Participants are encouraged to recline or sit comfortably and let the sound waves wash over them. Sound has been used for thousands of years to provide an outlet for emotional and physical release as well as activate the body s natural capacity for healing. A Sound Bath is like a massage for your soul.

13 Page 13 Traces of Consciousness Workshops & Events Tuesdays June 5-26 Emotional Intelligence 7-8:30 with Selam Meherana $80 The Series Emotional intelligence is the foundation for a host of critical skills, such as decision making, assertiveness, anger management, accountability, social skills, stress tolerance, time management, empathy, etc. A little effort spent on increasing your EQ tends to have a wide-ranging, positive impact on your life. Required book: Emotional Intelligence 2.0 by Travis Bradberry & Jean Greaves Before the first class, take online EQ appraisal (a passcode will be on an envelope on the back of the book), and bring to the class. Sunday June 3 Soul Collage 12:30 3 with Anne G. Cohen $25 (includes materials) A Soul Collage Deck is the story of you! SoulCollage is a process which begins as simple creative fun, but which suddenly may surprise and awaken you! Learn how to access your intuition and create an incredible deck of cards with deep personal meaning that will help you with life's questions. This is a multi-leveled, creative process which anyone can do. It is wonderful to have other people with whom to share the process. Anne Cohen is a minister with the United Church of Christ, currently serving Mt. Hollywood UCC in the Los Feliz area. Anne uses SoulCollage in various ways to encourage individual and communal transformation in the churches she serves. In personal use, as a verbal person, this visual approach has opened new avenues for self-understanding, spiritual expression and the processing of events and emotions. It s an adventure!

14 Page 14 Traces of Consciousness Worship, Devotion & Celebration April Sunday Talk Titles April 1 Easter Sunday: Rise & Shine April 8 Moments of Clarity April 15 As Sparks Fly April 22 Art of Dream Alchemy: Gina Rochell April 29 Practicing the Presence May Sunday Talk Titles May 6 And She Said. May 13 Mother s Day: For Whither Thou Goest May 20 It Only Takes One May 27 Guest Speaker: David Matthew Brown June Sunday Talk Titles June 3 The Three Faces of God June 10 Be Thou Made Whole June 17 Father s Day: Papa Charlie Speaks June 24 Guest Speaker: Kim Laine Wednesday May Taize Service & Labyrinth Walk Prayer in the Taizé style of worship is reflective, peaceful and joyful, including simple chants, readings, silence and prayer. Our sacred gathering is spiritual and inclusive. The chants for this service have been composed by New Thought songwriters and are trans-denominational. We will conclude with a labyrinth walk. Love Offering

15 Page 15 Traces of Consciousness Ongoing Groups & Services Choir Practice Choir practice is at the Church on Wednesdays at 7pm Prayer Service NEW DAY & TIME On the last Tuesday of the month, our Prayer Chaplains have a prayer service from 6:15-6:45 pm Come enjoy this prayerful time as we join in a sacred circle of love. 12-Step Meetings at Unity of Pasadena AA Women's Group Sunlight of the Spirit Monday 12-1:30 Childcare Narcotics Anonymous Meeting Wednesday 5:30-6:30 Thursday 5:30-6:30 Cocaine Anonymous Meeting Saturday 7:30-9 Al Anon for youth and young adults Sunday 7:45-9 Meditation Service Noon every Thursday Join us for a guided meditation with Suzanne Peters, including long periods of silence for contemplation. This 30 minute meditation is sure to rejuvenate and renew your mind, body, and soul. Thursdays Prosperity Prayer Circle 6-7 Our group is focused on creating a prayerful prosperity consciousness. Prosperity is abundance in all of life. Whether concerns are health, work, finance, or personal relationships, bring them into our circle of prayer. Using affirmations, writing, and various spiritual tools, the focus will be on bringing important goals into manifestation. $10 Reiki Sessions Last Thursday of the Month 7-9 Come experience the relaxing, energy-balancing, healing practice of reiki with certified practitioners for a price that can t be beat!

16 Page 16 Traces of Consciousness Ongoing Groups & Services 2nd & 4th Saturday of the Month Crochet Circle Keith Sneider 10:30-12 Keith Sneider is a Pasadena resident who taught himself how to crochet a few years ago. He's been making blankets and scarves as gifts to family and friends. Keith will teach simple stitches to begin making items for personal use, donate, or even sell in the Book Nook. Supplies are provided. This has become a bi-monthly gathering to have fun and create. Members of the Circle (missing from photo: Greg Stanton) are pictured at right with their first collective blanket that they ll be donating to a local charity. Writing Group Meets the 1st & 3rd Saturday of each month 10-12:30 Join this fun and inspirational group anytime. Everyone gets to tackle the same thought provoking topics from their own unique perspective and life experience. Facilitated by Mary Coolman $15